I absolutely love a good slow cooker recipe. It’s such a good feeling to walk in the door after a long day and have dinner ready to greet you. It’s an even better feeling when that meal is as delicious as this Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken!

Tidbit of information for you: I’m not a big peanut fan. Is anyone really??? I feel like they are at the bottom of the nut totem pole. For me, almonds will always top that list, followed by cashews, pistachios, and macadamia nuts. However, I do enjoy peanuts on top of my kung pao chicken. You could also use cashews, but I feel good giving peanuts some love where they actually deserve it – aka in this recipe, in peanut butter, and on top of pad thai.

Unfortunately, this isn’t a total dump and go slow cooker recipe. There’s a teensy bit of work involved before and after everything goes into the crockpot – But trust me, it’s not a lot of work, and these tips will really help you get the most out of this slow cooker version of kung pao chicken.

How To Make Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken

First, we brown the chicken before adding it to the slow cooker. This helps to hold the chicken bits together. If we skipped this step, we would end up with shredded kung pao chicken. Not really what we’re going for here. If you’re short on time in the morning, you can definitely brown the chicken the night before. Then, in the morning, just toss the sauce and chicken together in the slow cooker, turn it on, and you’re good to go.

The other step we can’t skip here is sautéing the red peppers and zucchini. In order to maintain crisp vegetables, I like to quick sauté them at the end, and then add them to the finished kung pao. This really helps to maintain the texture of the dish, and it’s quick! The veggies will be ready in five minutes flat. I like to prepare them while I’m cooking the rice to serve alongside this yummy dish.

If you loved this Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken I would appreciate it so much if you would give this recipe a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me onInstagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.

Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: crockpot, kung pao chicken, slow cooker

Prep Time:15minutes

Cook Time:4hours

Total Time:4hours15minutes

Servings:6servings

Calories:305kcal

Author:Platings & Pairings

Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken is perfect for weeknight dinners. Chicken is simmered in a spicy sauce and finished off with crisp sautéed red peppers and crunchy peanuts.

Instructions

Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook until browned on all sides. Place the browned meat in the slow cooker, along with the dried chili peppers.

Combine water, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, garlic, and ginger in a bowl. Stir until well combined. Pour over the chicken and peppers in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

Combine the cornstarch and water. Whisk until smooth. Add this mixture to the chicken at the end of its cooking time, and let warm through for 5-10 minutes. The sauce will thicken.

While the sauce is thickening, sauté the red pepper and zucchini in oil, until softened, but still crisp. Add the peppers, zucchini and peanuts to the slow cooker and stir gently to combine. Garnish with chopped green onions and serve immediately, over rice, if desired.

This post was originally published in August 2016. It was updated in February 2019 to update the content and photographs. The recipe remains the same. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken

Amount Per Serving

Calories 305Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 19g29%

Saturated Fat 8g40%

Cholesterol 40mg13%

Sodium 605mg25%

Potassium 342mg10%

Total Carbohydrates 19g6%

Dietary Fiber 1g4%

Sugars 12g

Protein 13g26%

Vitamin A15.3%

Vitamin C39.6%

Calcium3.5%

Iron8.1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Wine Pairings for Kung Pao Chicken:

Gewurztraminer or an off-dry Riesling would make a good match for this dish. The acidity and residual sugars along with the moderate alcohol content of these wines, help to keep the dominate flavors and spice in balance.

Not a big fan of crock pot cooking – everything seems to come out tasting the same. Also, so many recipes are not “dump and go” as you point out. I had to adjust my thinking about the crock pot and relegate it to weekend cooking – when I have the time for the added steps, but still enjoy the convenience of having a meal ready OR cooking something for a crowd/pot luck – it’s good at keeping it warm 🙂 My current favorite recipe is: http://www.workingmom2three.com/2015/08/27/slow-cooker-buffalo-chicken-mac-cheese/

I’m sorry that you felt that the flavors were off. The vinegar helps to lend itself to the sweet (brown sugar), salty (soy sauce) and tart (vinegar) combination. If it didn’t suit your taste, please feel free to reduce the vinegar to just a couple of tablespoons.

Uhhh, not so Yumm Kung Pao is not to taste TOO spicy. Your recipe calls for way to much chili or spice. A little spice is exact, this will more flavor of the other ingredients. Each person is to TASTE the flavors, NOT feel one overbearing one.

Hi Marty – The exact sodium count of this meal will vary on the soy sauce you use – Because that is the only real sodium going into this recipe, you should be able to determine the total sodium content based on that. I hope this helps!

Hi Neha – I haven’t tried this in the Instant Pot yet, but I think it can be adapted. I would pressure cook the chicken for 5 minutes, then remove the lid and add the veggies. Cook them on saute for a few minutes. If it needs to be thickened further at the end, I would add the cornstarch. Hope that helps!

Hi Jen – I haven’t tried this in the Instant Pot yet, but I think it can be adapted. I would pressure cook the chicken for 5 minutes, then remove the lid and add the veggies. Cook them on saute for a few minutes. If it needs to be thickened further at the end, I would add the cornstarch. Hope that helps!

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